


Breaking the Mold

by neverminetohold



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Accidental Voyeurism, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anal Fingering, Awkwardness, Character Study, Established Relationship, First Time, Frottage, Human/Synth Relationship, M/M, Masturbation, Non-Human Genitalia, Romance, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-22
Updated: 2018-04-22
Packaged: 2019-04-20 17:09:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14265744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neverminetohold/pseuds/neverminetohold
Summary: Nick Valentine had never questioned his ability to love. Of course he loves Ellie, Nate, and a whole bunch of other people, though hardly all in the same way. It's the physical half of the equation that snuck up on him and threw him for a loop...





	Breaking the Mold

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Masu_Trout](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Masu_Trout/gifts).



A synth tried to masturbate... It sounded like the start of a damn bad joke with Nick starring as the punchline, because here he stood, in front of the cracked bathroom mirror, playing around with himself like a teenager.

Not that he had been given much to work with. The Institute eggheads hadn't exactly gone out of their way to make Gen. 2 synths as lifelike as possible. They had chosen the male body as a blueprint, sure, but the final product wasn't more than a crude approximation of the real thing. No hair or texture, no nipples or dick, just artificial skin over a metal frame that protected the inner workings, the tubes and wires and pumps, plus a whole bunch of ugly-ass seams.

Nick threw up his hands with a heavy sigh, eyes flickering between bright and dim as he forced himself not to shy away from his reflection. Wasn't like avoiding it would make him feel any less naked and on show. Would think he'd have an easier time of it by now. But there was no denying the fact that the identical twin staring back at him looked no different than any other Gen. 2 synth in existence, reducing him to one more mass-produced Institute puppet. Except unlike those, Nick Valentine had been cut loose from his strings the moment he had woken up in the middle of a stinking garbage heap.

Not that his electronic gray matter was standard-issue, but he hadn't known that right from the start. So all that lent him some individuality at first glance was his detective's outfit and the tale his discolored and damaged skin told.

Of course Nate would call him a damn fool for thinking along those lines. _And then probably add that he's no better, 'cause he loves me anyway._ Nick smiled, heat rushing through his systems as his energy levels rose another notch. _My very own version of_ not _getting a boner_. Nick shook his head with a soft snort. Clearly, his esteemed partner in life and crime solving was right at the heart of his problem. Though that probably meant that he should count himself a lucky synth indeed.

He picked up his bundle of clothes. The laundry and cold case files could wait for another day. Ignoring the office area where the dust-covered boxes were stacked, Nick went straight into his bedroom. He tossed his suit, trench coat, and fedora on the only chair and turned the key in the lock. He had flipped the sign to read 'Closed' earlier and Ellie didn't come in on Sundays, but better safe than sorry.

He stretched out on the bare mattress, not bothered by the springs digging into his back, and accessed the memory file that was threatening to upset the comfortable routine his relationship with Nate had fallen into. Mostly because Nick had avoided his issues like a champ and Nate hadn't yet reached the point where his habit of confronting bullshit head-on had led him to push back. In other words, this old synth had been a damn chicken.

 _It's high time that I draw the line_. Nick closed his eyes, shutting out reality, to re-experience yesterday morning as if his short-lived stint as a voyeur were happening right now.

XXX

Fist raised to knock, Nick froze like a radstag that had stepped on a landmine. There it was again, a moan cut off by a low groan, making him think of teeth biting down on a lip until they left a white mark.

He should just turn around and walk away. Instead, he turned up the sensitivity of his audio sensors and focused, until he could hear a multitude of noises that overlapped in a chaotic soundtrack of pleasure.

Nate swallowed and his Adam's apple bobbed. His breath caught in his throat. He exhaled another moan. Two lungs working hard, building up a rhythm that matched the tension that made Nate's muscles thrum with pent-up energy. They rippled beneath his skin, clenched and relaxed. The couch creaked as his hips rose, seeking friction, grinding into the rough push and pull of his fist.

The pitch of Nate's voice changed until his need to come seemed to echo through the night at a volume that should have roused every settler in Sanctuary. The rapid beating of his heart. The rush of blood. The soft rustling of hair and fabric as Nate shook his head and cupped his balls. As he circled and teased the twitching rim and plunged two fingers into the saliva-slick heat.

Liquid welled up, ran along the thick vein that pulsed on the underside of Nate's hard cock. Moist and slippery, skin dragging on skin, the droplet was spread across the tip. One thumb rubbed the slit and - " _Nick_."

Somewhere down the street, a door banged shut, no less loud than a bomb going off. Nick scampered like a startled mole rat, audio receptors ringing and crackling with static.

XXX

Nick's eyes snapped open and he stared at the ceiling with its growing water stain, but it was out of focus, a blur of gray. His sensor-net tingled, a sensation roughly similar to the distant memory of goosebumps as they spread along Real-Nick's hairy forearms.

Nick sat up and covered his face with his hands, then rubbed it furiously. "Great. Guess I'm one hell of a late bloomer... Heh. I bet the eggheads never meant for me to have something as redundant as a sex drive."

The mirth bubbling up inside him ran out of steam quick. Nate had wanted to have sex ever since they had hooked up three months ago. Been more than willing to use the trial-and-error method to find out what worked for both of them. Human or not, it wasn't as if anyone came with a handy manual. And if hearsay was to be believed, that was supposed to be part of the thrill.

But Nick had never felt physical attraction to anyone - until Nate. And Real-Nick's memories were no help, at least not when it came to sex. So he had stalled, made excuses, buried himself in his cases. And the only reason Nate hadn't noticed anything amiss yet was that he was busy himself, what with trying to get the Minutemen back on their feet. Taking out a Mirelurk Queen and her brood wasn't exactly a walk in the park.

 _This - this_ pining _business can't go on. Let's stick to the facts: I love Nate. I want him_.

"And he clearly wants this ugly mug. It's time to bite the bullet and have a conversation like grown men. Or maybe we can skip that part..."

XXX

His systems were slow to boot up and the process was accompanied by error messages. They flashed at him in bold, angry red letters. Nothing ominous about that.

Nick knew for a fact that his eyes were wide open, but he couldn't see a damn thing. Couldn't move, either. Wasn't exactly a surprise, though, not in the aftermath of a crash. All he could do now was wait and hope that he'd be greeted by a friendly face, not the business end of a loaded gun. Fretting over spilled milk never having been his style, Nick accessed his mainframe and activated the memory that had been recorded last. For a microsecond nothing happened, then –

"You got time to talk?" he asks, shifting his weight from foot to foot. "It's important. And awkward, so bear with me."

...feel Nate's breath on his skin, the part that isn't damaged anyway. ...cup his face... Their noses bump together. ...until he's secure in a hug... ...a hand on his ass... ...returns the favor with a gentle squeeze... ...his hands roam... ...he wants to touch every inch of Nate, hear him moan like he did...

His lips are soft and warm, they part for him... ...not dry like his own mouth, but moist... ...faint taste of Nate's last meal...

...his tongue explores along the seam, dips inside a little... ...touching a wire, twisting it... ...hot like a brand, but good - except a 'Foreign Body'-warning flashes...

"Ow!" ...jerks away with a pinched grimace. - "You alright?! Nate? What the hell happened?" - "Electric shock. It's nothing. Don't worry, I'm fine." - "Now, let's try that again..."

Nate grunts and laughs, writhing and kicking at him until the blanket lands on the floor and he nearly... "Sorry! You alright, Nick? My bad. Should have warned you. I'm ticklish there."

...the lube ends up everywhere, a purple paste that... ...the jar slipping right through his fingers... ...a glob running down his nose... more in Nate's hair... ...soaking stains into the sheets... smells like mutfruit...

"Nick. Stop worrying. This is your first time. _Our_ first time. If it weren't hilarious and awkward, we'd be doing something wrong."

...licks and kisses, follows the path of... ...can't describe the sensation that sparks along his sensor-net... ...the pressure inside him builds in crackling waves...

"Can you feel that?"

...takes his hand... ....guides... on Nate's hard cock... "Yeah, just like that." ...the vein pulses against his palm... ...twitching in Nick's firm grip... ...he tastes that droplet. It's bitter. And a little salty but...

"I love you."

...fucks the tight space between Nick's thighs... ...seeking friction... ...drags the tip along the dip of his hipbone and stomach... ...leaves a wet trail... ...inner muscles clenching around Nick's fingers as if trying to suck them in deeper...

...the tension rises and breaks, sparks crackling as the overload hits his system... ...pure white blooms before his eyes...

As the fragmented pieces came together and he started to fill in the gaps, Nick changed his mind. He was suddenly real glad that he was trapped inside his unresponsive body. At least that way, no facial gymnastics could give his cascade of reactions away.

_Good god, the way I fumbled around! It's like Real-Nick was a virgin and didn't have a porn collection! Well, not that Nate was any better - where is the romance in getting kicked in the ribs? One point for the synth: no bruise. Except Nate got an electric shock... Need to look into that. Heh, but Nate was so sweet and patient... I had no idea it could feel like that. Talk about a mind-blowing orgasm..._

His status changed from offline to online with a jolt, as if someone had flipped a switch. The error messages vanished. All systems green. Nick blinked. The familiar sight of Nate's bedroom ceiling came into view, that cobbled together mess of corrugated iron. Everything smelled like sweat, semen, and mutfruit. His sensor-net tingled, but the feeling was less urgent now, more like a pleasant, mellow afterglow that flooded through Nick's chest cavity.

Fabric rustled and the wooden frame creaked. Nate's head poked out from under the blanket. "You 'kay?"

Nick thought of Blake and Shakespeare, all those quotes about happiness and love that were on the tip of his tongue, but for now, with Nate half asleep, he only smiled and said, "Never better."


End file.
